Galaxy Express 999 is getting a new theatrical anime film

Toei Animation is producing a brand new theatrical animated film based on Leiji Matsumoto's classic sci-fi series Galaxy Express 999. The project was revealed on July 25 through the official announcement on X, kicking off a new era for the long-running space opera.

According to Leijisha's news post, the new movie features a story draft by Rintaro, who directed the original 1979 film adaptation and later helmed 2001's Metropolis. Toei Animation is handling the production as part of its 70th-anniversary celebration.

A quick history of the 999

For those unfamiliar with the property, Galaxy Express 999 began as a manga by the late Leiji Matsumoto in 1977. The premise follows a young boy named Tetsuro Hoshino who lives in a future where wealthy elites buy mechanical bodies to live forever. After his mother is hunted down by mechanized humans, Tetsuro teams up with a mysterious woman named Maetel. Together, they board a space-faring steam locomotive to reach a planet that gives away mechanical bodies for free.

The manga was a massive success and quickly spawned a hit television anime series that ran from 1978 to 1981. The 1979 theatrical film directed by Rintaro broke box office records in Japan and cemented the franchise as a pillar of sci-fi anime. Fans are already flooding the #銀河鉄道999 hashtag with reactions to the revival.

Matsumoto's visual style is easy to spot. His work is characterized by lanky heroes, impossibly slender women, and highly detailed mechanical designs. His universes served as the foundation for numerous adaptations, and his designs frequently crossed over into arcade interactive media. The 1986 laserdisc arcade title Freedom Fighter heavily utilized his character designs, proving that his space operas translated well to interactive formats.

From manga to the PlayStation

The franchise has an interesting history with home consoles. Banpresto brought the series to the PlayStation in 2001 with Matsumoto Reiji 999: Story of Galaxy Express 999. That release was an adventure game developed by Polygon Magic, and it included 20 minutes of original 2D and 3D animation just for the game. Later on, the series popped up on portable hardware with Ginga Tetsudō 999 DS for the Nintendo DS in 2010.

The Rintaro is back!

Rintaro's return to the franchise is a major draw. Born Shigeyuki Hayashi, he started at Toei Animation back in 1958 before co-founding Madhouse. His resume includes directing the 1994 OVA series Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals, which served as a direct sequel to Square's Final Fantasy V. Having him provide the story draft for this new Galaxy Express 999 film brings a sense of continuity that you rarely see in modern reboots.

As previously reported, Galaxy Express 999 is getting a new theatrical animated film, but we do not have a release window yet. Makiko Matsumoto, Leiji Matsumoto's daughter and head of Leijisha, provided a statement expressing her support for the project. I am curious to see if Toei's newly formed internal video game division decides to capitalize on this movie with a modern game adaptation.